Tuesday, July 22, 2008

West to flex military muscles against Iran

The United States is set to lead a joint military exercise in the Atlantic Ocean to show off its combat capabilities as a warning to Iran. The Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) 08-4 'Operation Brimstone' will take place on July 21-31 in North Carolina and off the eastern US coast from Virginia to Florida, involving France, Britain and Brazil. More than a dozen ships, including the US carrier strike group Theodore Roosevelt and expeditionary strike group Iwo Jima, the French submarine Amethyste, and the British HMS Illustrious Carrier Strike Group, as well as a Brazilian frigate will take part in the 10-day exercise. Six vessels from the US Norfolk Naval State will play enemy at the exercise. The drill is aimed at training for operation in shallow coastal waters such as the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.